Health literacy is a complex construct that involves the individual, their community, and the health systems that they interact with (Sørensen, 2021). For contemporary best practice health professionals are encouraged to work with people to improve their health literacy, as low health literacy is associated with higher mortality and morbidity, and increased rates of hospitalisation (Berkman et al., 2011). The importance of being responsive to health literacy is further emphasised by its intrinsic association with empowerment of individuals and communities and its alignment with the sustainable development goals (World Health Organisation, 2024). With acknowledgment of the vital importance of health literacy and the impacts that health literacy can have on individuals and communities, this symposium aims to explore and situate the challenges and successes of health literacy teaching and research within the global physiotherapy profession. The focused symposium will connect health literacy researchers from three continents to reflect on the region specific and internationally shared experiences and critique current research about health literacy.  

Whilst introducing the topic, areas of controversy will be highlighted including the challenges of variability in the definition of health literacy amongst regions, and the inequity in health literacy initiatives globally – despite demonstrated global relevance. Firstly, the inclusion of health literacy into entry to practice physiotherapy education will be explored through an account of recent literature. Recommendations will be made for physiotherapy educators regarding the integration of impactful health literary curricula, and the identification of clear intended learning outcomes for physiotherapy students. Evaluation of the current practices of Australian health professional educators will be undertaken (Martin et al., 2023), alongside literature that describes international trends and the autoethnographic reflections of the authors. Secondly, organisational health literacy and the approaches that organisations can implement which prioritise the provision of healthcare that is culturally and linguistically responsive will be explored. Experiences from North America will be reflected upon, including how organisational health literacy is tied to shared decision making among physiotherapists and caregivers of children with developmental concerns (Magnusson et al., 2020; Magnusson et al., 2022). Thirdly, the clinical relevance and impact of health literacy responsiveness amongst physiotherapy clinicians will be highlighted; including evidence demonstrating how physiotherapists identify health literacy through subtle cues and research demonstrating the importance of individualised therapeutic approaches for clients with low health literacy (Brooks et al., 2017). Critique of the current health literacy practice of Singaporean clinicians will be undertaken, with emphasis on the need for ongoing continuing professional development.  

Having provided an international perspective on recent constructs and evidence for health literacy, and a summary of the areas of controversy and challenges relevant to physiotherapy, this symposium aims to inspire the physiotherapy community to advocate for and implement health literacy initiatives. Tangible recommendations regarding health literacy frameworks for policy and curricula, and methods for evaluating health literacy will be emphasised. Areas for future research and future implementation of health literacy programs will be discussed, in efforts to inspire the physiotherapy community towards health literacy responsivity.  

1. Berkman, N. D., Sheridan, S. L., Donahue, K. E., Halpern, D. J., & Crotty, K. (2011). Low health literacy and health outcomes: an updated systematic review. Annals of internal medicine, 155(2), 97-107. https://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-155-2-201107190-00005 
2. Brooks, C., Ballinger, C., Nutbeam, D., & Adams, J. (2017). The importance of building trust and tailoring interactions when meeting older adults’ health literacy needs. Disability and Rehabilitation, 39(23), 2428–2435. https://doi.org/10.1080/09638288.2016.1231849 
3. Magnusson, D. M., Shwayder, I., Murphy, N. J., Ollerenshaw, L., Ebendick, M., & Auer-Bennett, E. (2022). Creation of a community-driven decision support tool for caregivers of children with developmental concerns. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 31(3), 1084-1094. https://doi.org/10.1044/2021_AJSLP-21-00072 
4. Magnusson, D., Murphy, N. J., & Peña-Jackson, G. (2020). Community-Engaged research to translate developmental screening and referral processes into locally-relevant, family-centered language. Maternal and child health journal, 24, 651-659. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10995-019-02853-x 
5. Martin, R., Cartwright, J., & Bird, M. L. (2023). The Health Literacy of First Year Physiotherapy and Speech Pathology Students and Their Perceived Future Roles in Supporting Their Clients’ Health Literacy. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(11), 6013. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20116013 
6. Sørensen, K., Levin-Zamir, D., Duong, T. V., Okan, O., Brasil, V. V., & Nutbeam, D. (2021). Building health literacy system capacity: a framework for health literate systems. Health Promotion International, 36(Supplement_1), i13-i23. https://doi.org/10.1093/heapro/daab153 
7. World Health Organisation. (2024). Health literacy. The mandate for health literacy. Accessed on the 19 April 2024. Accessed from: https://www.who.int/teams/health-promotion/enhanced-wellbeing/ninth-global-conference/health-literacy